The Open Office Concept: What It Is and How It Can Benefit You

Open office designs aren’t new, but they’re becoming more popular and widespread among companies these days as they offer many benefits to the working environment. In the past, cubicles and separate offices were the preferred floor plan but now open plan offices are becoming the norm.

Open office floor plans generally do away with the conventional dividers that block employees from seeing each other. Instead, everyone works at desks with little to no barriers. Even managers and higher ranked employees share the space, with rooms reserved only for meetings and conferences. Here’s why the open office concept is catching on:

1. It Encourages Communication

Psychologists have found that when you remove physical barriers like cubicles in the office, employees become more open to sharing and communicating with one another. This means that there is a constant flow of ideas from department to department and this will drive the development and creativity in the corporate setting.

2. It Provides a More Relaxed Work Environment

An open working environment has always been less stressful as it allows people to be aware of each other’s presence, as opposed to working alone. Open floor plans can also incorporate a less conventional working arrangement where desk and chairs are done away with completely and replaced with sofas, bean bags and cushions. This will allow employees to work in more comfortable positions, which in turn will reduce the stress and tension in the office.

3. It Removes Strict Hierarchy

The open office concept means that everyone, regardless of seniority or rank will share the same space. Superiors will be more approachable, thereby making the workflow smoother and employees will be more open to discuss any issues with their managers as opposed to the old arrangements where bosses were often in a closed off room and you’d have to knock and be told to ‘enter’ before you could speak your mind. In this egalitarian setting, bosses work with the employees, rather than just overseeing them.

4. Eliminates Sick Building Syndrome

Open floor office plans are often more spacious and less cramped, meaning that employees get to stretch their legs and look out of large windows. This does a lot for their mental and physical health, as cramped office spaces tend to allow diseases, mold and mildew to grow more easily due to the lack of sunlight and airflow. The open floor plan reduces the risk of sick building syndrome from developing by increasing healthy airflow throughout the work space.

5. It’s More Flexible

With an open office, it’s easier to rearrange furniture in case the your first try doesn’t work or need improvement. This will be better and more cost-saving in the long run, especially since the furniture is mostly detachable and lightweight. This also means that any re-designing can be done fairly easily in the future, as opposed to the traditional setting of bulky desks and cubicles.

Bring your office to the next level and give your employees that extra creativity and productivity boost they need with the open office concept. If your office looks old, cramped, cluttered and tired, the renovation teams here at Kaodim will definitely help you transform them into a working paradise.